If you are a diabetic, losing and maintaining a healthy weight can significantly improve your blood sugar levels. A 1,500-calorie diet plan can help both men and women lose weight. To help you meet your nutrient needs and promote good blood sugars, your diet should include a variety of nutrient-rich foods from each of the food groups in consistent amounts. Consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan.
Diet Guidelines
When following a calorie-controlled diet to help promote weight loss and blood sugar control, use the diabetes exchange diet system to help you balance your nutrient intake. On the exchange diet, you eat a certain number of servings from each of the different food groups based on your calorie needs. This helps you balance your carbohydrate, protein and fat intake. A 1,500-calorie exchange diet includes eight servings of starch, five servings of meat or meat alternatives, three servings of vegetables, three servings of fruit, two servings of meat and three servings of fat. Food servings should then be divided between three meals and snacks. Eating the same amount of food at each meal each day also helps improve blood sugars.
Breakfast
A balanced breakfast meal should include two servings of starch, one serving of meat, one serving of fruit, one serving of milk and one serving of fat. A sample breakfast includes a 2 oz. toasted whole wheat bagel with 1 1/2 tsp. of peanut butter, 1/4 cup of cottage cheese with 3/4 cup of cubed pineapple and a 6-oz. container of nonfat, sugar-free yogurt. Foods within each exchange group contain the same amount of calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat, allowing you to "exchange" items within each group when meal planning. For example, you can exchange the 2 oz. whole wheat bagel for an English muffin or two slices of whole wheat toast.
Lunch
A lunch meal on your 1,500-calorie diabetic diet should include two servings of starch, two servings of meat or meat alternatives, one serving of vegetables, one serving of fruit and one serving of fat. A sample lunch includes a tuna sandwich made with 2 oz. of water packed tuna mixed with 1 tbsp. of reduced-fat mayonnaise on two slices of whole wheat bread, 1 cup of mixed greens with 1 tbsp. of fat-free salad dressing and a small orange.
Dinner
For dinner, include three starch exchanges, two meat exchanges, two vegetable exchanges, one fruit exchange and one fat exchange. A healthy dinner idea may include a 2 oz. turkey burger on a whole wheat hamburger bun, 1/2 cup of cooked corn with 1 tsp. of margarine, 2 cups of mixed greens with 1 tbsp. of fat-free salad dressing and 1 1/4 cups of fresh strawberries.
Snack
Making snacks a part of your meal plan can help you control hunger, which is helpful when following a low-calorie diet for weight loss. Your snack should include one serving of starch and one serving of milk. This may include 3/4 cups of unsweetened ready-to-eat cereal with 1 cup of nonfat milk.
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